A support apparatus of the above-described type is known in the prior art, such a prior art device being depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II in FIG. 1. This type of apparatus comprises a long supporting base a on which an elongated elastic seat member b made of urethane foam or the like is adhered. The plurality of sound members d are mounted on the seat member b, with adjacent sound members having elastic partitioning members c therebetween and adhered thereto. The sound members d are lightly held in place by a pair of pressing rails f, each having an elastic strip member e adhered thereto.
This conventional type apparatus is disadvantageous in that manufacture of each elastic partitioning member and adherence thereof to the respective seat member b are extremely troublesome operations because the elastic partitioning members c mounted on each elastic seat member b are extremely small in thickness, and an integral molding of those elastic partitioning members c with the elastic seat member b is difficult. Furthermore, when a sound member d is struck with a hammer, the sound member is liable to be moved in its longitudinal direction, so that the supported points thereof are deviated from the vibration nodes. As a result of this deviation, the damping sound thereof is shortened in time or the tone quality thereof is changed, and accordingly the tone qualities and sound volumes produced during operation of a plurality of keys become irregular.